The sickly one in F4 was the group's darling.

Shen Tinglan looked at Ji Huaizhou, his emotions sinking layer by layer until only a faint, almost weary silence remained. He slowly raised his hand and pointed to the bottom drawer of the desk.

Ji Huaizhou walked over and opened the drawer.

It was empty inside, containing only a pack of cigarettes and a silver lighter. He reached out and picked up the pack, gently squeezing it in his palm; the pack was already half-dented. He opened the lid, glanced down and counted the cigarettes, then slammed it shut again.

"Was this package opened today?" Ji Huaizhou asked.

Shen Tinglan remained silent.

"But two are missing." Ji Huaizhou looked up at him. "You told me, just today, just this one. Where's the other one?"

Shen Tinglan turned his head to look out the window. The moonlight made his profile appear extremely white, as if covered with a thin layer of frost. He paused for a few seconds, then lowered his voice, offering a weak explanation: "In the car, while he was asleep, I was standing far away outside."

"Outside the car." Ji Huaizhou's voice didn't soften; instead, it grew colder. "You brought him back, and he, a patient, was asleep in the car while you stood in the cold wind smoking. Did he wake up in the middle? Did he even know you were outside?"

Shen Tinglan did not answer.

"He knows," Ji Huaizhou continued. "Bai Ci has such a keen sense of smell, how could he not know? He just didn't say anything. Guess why he didn't say anything? Was it out of consideration for you, or was he afraid that asking would make you feel even worse?"

Shen Tinglan closed her eyes, her jawline tensing, as if she had been punched in the face.

Ji Huaizhou put the cigarette case and the lighter into his pocket, then bent down and picked up the tube of ointment that Shen Tinglan had just tossed on the corner of the table. The seal had been broken, and there were signs that the tube had been squeezed. He silently put it back in its place.

The room was eerily quiet, with only the night wind rustling through the window frames as it slipped in through the cracks.

Shen Tinglan remained silent for a long time.

He slowly raised his hand, his fingertips unconsciously pressing against the side of his neck, as if checking for a pulse, or perhaps simply because his hands were restless. After a long while, that thin, broken voice, worn down by the night wind and the oppressive atmosphere, finally broke through, carrying a weary, resigned air:

"...No, please."

Ji Huaizhou's face darkened instantly, a surge of anger rising within him.

He was absolutely furious.

He was furious with Shen Tinglan. Normally so insightful and calm, calculating everything meticulously, how could he be so clueless now, knowing the backlash would follow and still ruining himself? He was furious that Shen Tinglan, who clearly loved Bai Ci the most, was choosing the most foolish way to consume himself and Bai Ci's tolerance. At this moment, a powerful impulse surged within him—he wanted to raise his hand and slap this self-destructive person awake.

He forcibly suppressed the urge to take action.

"Shen Tinglan".

Ji Huaizhou's voice was hoarse, each word emphasized, "Do you know how irresponsible it is to say something like that? You don't want it anymore? You don't even want your life, so why are you still protecting Bai Ci? Protecting him for this one day, and then exhausting yourself so he can burn incense for you every year afterward? Shen Tinglan, do you think he won't be hurt, or do you think I'm afraid to tell him what you're like now?"

Shen Tinglan opened his eyes. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, as if he were swallowing something, or as if he dared not spit anything out.

"I'm not afraid of him being afraid of me. I'm afraid that if he gets close to me, I'll get dragged down with him sooner or later."

"You're implicated? You should wake up. Even without you, given his background, he couldn't have avoided it anyway."

The two remained silent in the darkness for a long time.

"Shen Tinglan," Ji Huaizhou suddenly spoke, his voice less harsh than before, but not much warmer either, "I understand why you were like this tonight. If I were in your shoes, I might also want to find an outlet to let out what's been building up inside."

He spoke slowly, as if he were organizing a sentence that had been weighing on his mind for a long time.

"But have you considered what state Bai Ci is in right now? Just facing us, he's caught in a dilemma, constantly on edge. Can he afford to know what kind of trouble you might cause?"

"I know," Shen Tinglan said, her voice hoarse.

"If you know, then take good care of him. Don't leave everything to him to handle alone. Just because he doesn't dare to look at you today doesn't mean he won't in the future. If you really want to stay by his side, then save your life first. Don't let him come back to you and you collapse first."

Shen Tinglan did not respond.

He turned his head to look out the window. The entire back mountain was shrouded in night, dark and heavy, like a curtain that could not be closed. The fog had completely dissipated, leaving not a trace, as if the dramatic events of the afternoon had never happened.

"Someone like me doesn't deserve for him to look back." Shen Tinglan's voice was extremely soft, as if she were talking to herself.

"Whether he's worthy or not is not for you to decide," Ji Huaizhou said. "Bai Ci isn't the kind of person you imagine who would be easily defeated and scared away. He has fear in his heart, but he's still here, sleeping in the next room, he hasn't left."

"Tonight, I saved the day for you. This is a one-time exception," Ji Huaizhou said. "Next time, you'll have to talk to him about it yourself. I won't deal with your old grudges for you, nor will I cover for you forever. But Shen Tinglan, remember this—"

He paused.

"Bai Ci treats you like family. In this building, you're the first person he got to know and trust."

Shen Tinglan finally turned her head to the side, half of her face was shrouded in shadow, only her tightly pursed lips were visible.

Ji Huaizhou glanced at him but didn't say anything more. He looked away from Shen Tinglan's face, turned and walked to the bedside. When he spoke again, his voice had turned cold.

"Take off your clothes."

Shen Tinglan froze for a moment.

"Don't you understand?" Ji Huaizhou walked to the bedside with his back to him. "Today, while you were under the seal, you forcibly activated the power of the old world. Your spiritual veins backfired and surfaced, accumulating in your shoulders, back, and chest. Do you think you can get through it by just toughing it out? Do you want me to check your spiritual veins, or do you think there's anyone else in this room who can check them for you?"

A night breeze slipped in through the window cracks, making Shen Tinglan's clothes feel slightly cool. He kept his eyes downcast, not moving, his voice still terribly hoarse, carrying a hint of numb resistance: "There's no need."

He knew Shen Tinglan's personality all too well. This person was used to being harsh on himself. When he was hurt, tired, or suffered the backlash, he would always hide it and refuse to show weakness or deal with it properly.

"Unnecessary? Don't make me say it a third time." Ji Huaizhou's tone became authoritative and left no room for argument. "Take it off—"